Panorama of Aitkin (early 1900s)
Aitkin Minnesota
This view is looking north down what is now Minnesota Avenue. On the upper-left is the original courthouse, and to the left of that the peak of the old school. How can we date a photo that does not have a date written on it? Note the Henry George 5-cent cigar advertisement painted on the side of the building on the right. Henry George (1839-1897) was a famous economist who was extremely popular with the working man. The cigars bearing his name were the cheapest to be found, and that brand continued to be sold with his likeness on the box long after his death. Since Prohibition (no alcohol) lasted from 1919-1933, the Hamm's Beer advertisement dates this photo to the early 1900s, if not earlier. The Hamm's Brewery was in St Paul and its output rose from 500 barrels a year in 1865 to over 600,000 barrels by 1915. Also, the train depot on the north side of the tracks means this photo predates the new depot building built in 1916 that replaced it. (You can read ths history of the 1916 depot here.)